Latest news with #naturalization
CNN
2 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Trump administration expands ‘good moral character' requirement to become naturalized citizen
The Trump administration is expanding the requirement for immigrants who are hoping to become US citizens to display 'good moral character,' in a move that some immigration lawyers denounced as a troubling change that adds uncertainty to the naturalization process. US Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security that administers the country's legal immigration system, directed its officers in a memo last week to more heavily consider both positive and negative 'attributes or contributions' of people going through the naturalization process to become US citizens. The memo, which was sent to USCIS officers on Friday, requires them to take a more 'holistic approach in evaluating whether or not an alien seeking naturalization has affirmatively established that he or she has met their burden of establishing that they are worthy of assuming the rights and responsibilities of United States Citizenship.' The agency said in a statement that the new policy is intended to ensure its officers are accounting more heavily for an immigrant's positive attributes, rather than simply the 'absence of misconduct,' to reflect their character. 'U.S. citizenship is the gold standard of citizenship—it should only be offered to the world's best of the best,' USCIS spokesperson Matthew J. Tragesser said in a statement. The standard to show good moral character has long been part of the naturalization process in the US. But immigration attorneys told CNN that the memo is designed in a way that places additional burdens on people going through the process. Emily Ryo, a professor of law and sociology at Duke University whose research focuses on immigration, said the 'mandate is likely to introduce a great deal of uncertainty, unpredictability, and administrative burden.' 'What does it mean to require that a noncitizen 'affirmatively' establish that they are 'worthy' of US citizenship?' Ryo said in an email. 'What kind of documentation will noncitizens be required to provide to make this affirmative showing, and how exactly are the officials to weigh and verify such evidence?' Susan Ramos, an immigration attorney based in Arizona, described the policy change as 'troubling' and said it 'appears to effectively change the substantive requirements for naturalization without notice and comment, just by policy.' 'It creates a new subjective standard without providing the analysis that will be performed in adjudicating an application for naturalization,' Ramos said. 'For example, how much volunteer work is enough to tip the scales in favor of the applicant? Who decides that formula, and using what analysis? What will USCIS consider sufficient achievement for someone who doesn't work?' And because the directive is broadly written, it makes it more difficult to challenge an individual officer's decision on whether the character standard has been met, said Kathrin Mautino, a California-based immigration attorney. 'Generally, it will give individual officers more authority to ask about private lives,' Mautino said. But the memo does contain some more concrete and stringent requirements for potential new citizens. Previously, immigrants who owed overdue taxes were required to only show they were participating in a payment plan with the IRS to meet the character standard, Mautino said. But the new memo now requires the 'full payment' of overdue taxes, as well as other obligations including child-support payments. USCIS said in the memo this is to make sure immigrants 'who have engaged in wrongdoing are properly rehabilitated and reformed.' People who have multiple traffic tickets can now be found to lack good moral character, as well as people who engage in 'harassment or aggressive solicitation,' though it is not clear what the memo means by that. The updated policy is just one way the Trump administration is more heavily scrutinizing the lives of people applying for citizenship or for the right to live, work or study in the United States. In late May, the US State Department ordered embassies to pause visa interviews for international students so they could more heavily scrutinize students' social media. The pause was lifted after the State Department told embassies to screen for 'hostile attitudes towards our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles.' On Tuesday, USCIS announced that type of vetting will expand to seek out 'anti-American' attitudes in those seeking immigration-related benefits such as the right to live or work in the US.
RNZ News
12 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
US to screen for ‘anti-Americanism' in immigration applications
By Jessie Yeung, CNN People wave US flags to celebrate becoming US citizens after taking the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony . Photo: AFP / Joseph Prezioso People applying to live or work in the United States will now be screened for "anti-Americanism," including having their social media checked, authorities announced on Tuesday, in a tightening of restrictions that has alarmed immigration advocates and lawyers. Immigration officers will be able to look at whether applicants have had "any involvement in anti-American or terrorist organizations," or whether there is any "evidence of antisemitic activity," said the policy update by US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). Social media vetting, already introduced into immigration screening in June by the Trump administration, will be expanded to include searches for any "anti-American activity," it said. It's the latest step in the administration's crackdown on immigration regulations, with many new actions likely to deter immigrants and international students from coming to the US. The State Department has revoked more than 6000 student visas this year, an official said on Monday. And in June, the State Department said embassies and consulates must vet student visa applicants for "hostile attitudes towards our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles". "America's benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies," said USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser in a news release on Tuesday. He added that the immigration agency was "committed to implementing policies and procedures that root out anti-Americanism and supporting the enforcement of rigorous screening and vetting measures to the fullest extent possible." The policy update did not give a specific definition for "anti-Americanism," only saying this included those who supported "antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, and antisemitic ideologies". But it pointed to a section of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) for examples of "anti-American" ideologies. The section in the Act, the US' overarching legal framework for immigration, bans certain people from becoming naturalized citizens - including members of various Communist parties, those who advocate for "world communism," those who write or distribute materials opposing "all organized government," or those who wish to overthrow the US government by force or violence. The announcement immediately stoked confusion and alarm, with online forums debating what counted as "anti-American." Many worried that the vague wording and lack of clear definition would give immigration officers the power to crack down further on immigration, regardless of a genuine threat. "Is being against the recent strike in Iran or being in favor of a cease fire in Gaza anti-American or antisemitic?" read one Reddit post in an immigration discussion. "What if you personally don't like Trump as a President or you shared a post on the recent South Park episodes making fun of him (and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi) Noem?" "The term (anti-Americanism) has no prior precedent in immigration law and its definition is entirely up to the Trump (administration)," said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, in a post on X. He added that the move was reminiscent of McCarthyism - the period of the 1950s also known as the Red Scare, when authorities prosecuted left-wing individuals amid a widespread public panic over communism and its influence on American institutions. Steven Brown, an immigration attorney based in Houston, also posted on X that so-called American values were "a subjective standard not found in the INA." "For me, the really big story is they are opening the door for stereotypes and prejudice and implicit bias to take the wheel in these decisions. That's really worrisome," said Jane Lilly Lopez, associate professor of sociology at Brigham Young University, according to the Associated Press. "It means you are going to just do a whole lot more work to provide evidence that you meet our standards," Lopez said. - CNN
Fox News
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump admin to weigh US citizenship applicants' 'positive contributions,' good moral character
Officers with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must consider the "positive contributions" of immigrants applying to become U.S. citizens as part of a more "holistic" approach, according to an agency memo. The new policy directs USCIS officers to account for an applicant's positive attributes, rather than simply the absence of misconduct. "Becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen means being an active and responsible member of society instead of just having a right to live and work in the United States," the Aug. 15 memo states. "Among other eligibility factors, aliens applying for naturalization must demonstrate that he or she has been and continues to be an individual of good moral character (GMC)." "Evaluating GMC involves more than a cursory mechanical review focused on the absence of wrongdoing," the memo continues. "It entails a holistic assessment of an alien's behavior, adherence to societal norms, and positive contributions that affirmatively demonstrate good moral character." Applicants with convictions for serious violent crimes have long been barred from obtaining U.S. citizenship. Friday's memo expands the list of offenses to include drug use or two or more convictions for driving under the influence. Officers are also encouraged to consider conduct that may not be illegal but considered inconsistent with civic responsibility within the community, including "reckless or habitual traffic infractions, or harassment or aggressive solicitation." "U.S. citizenship is the gold standard of citizenship—it should only be offered to the world's best of the best," USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser told Fox News Digital. "USCIS is adding a new element to the naturalization process that ensures America's newest citizens not only embrace America's culture, history, and language but who also demonstrate Good Moral Character." "This memo ensures that USCIS officers are accounting for an alien's positive contributions to American society—including community involvement, achievements, and financial responsibility rather than the absence of their misconduct," he added. "USCIS will continue to restore integrity in the nation's immigration system—especially when it comes to the prestigious privilege of citizenship." The memo also encourages the officers to look at other factors, such as whether applicants are involved in their communities, including family caregiving or raising a family, their ties to the United States, educational attainment, stable and lawful employment history, career achievements and paying taxes. "GMC findings must go beyond the absence of disqualifying acts, it must reflect a genuine positive assessment of who the alien is and how they have lived in their community," the memo states. The White House referred questions from Fox News Digital about the USCIS policy to the agency. Immigrants seeking to attain U.S. citizenship must already live in the country for several years and pass a civics test in English, among other requirements.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration expands ‘good moral character' requirement for naturalized citizenship
The Trump administration is moving to expand scrutiny of immigrants' 'good moral character' when deciding on citizenship applications. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced officers will be instructed to seek more than a 'cursory mechanical review focused on the absence of wrongdoing' and instead conduct "a holistic assessment of an alien's behavior, adherence to societal norms, and positive contributions that affirmatively demonstrate good moral character." In a memo shared on Friday, the agency said existing rules will remain, such as bars on granting citizenship to people shown to have conducted serious offenses including murder and torture, while outlining new criteria for naturalization. 'U.S. citizenship is the gold standard of citizenship — it should only be offered to the world's best of the best,' agency spokesperson Matthew J. Tragesser said in a statement to The Hill. Under the new policy, immigration officers are directed to factor in positive evidence of moral character, like an immigrant's community involvement and education attainment, as well as negative information, such as repeated DUI convictions or actions that 'while technically lawful, may be inconsistent with civic responsibility within the community, such as reckless or habitual traffic infractions, or harassment or aggressive solicitation.' Officers will also consider evidence of reformed character, such as paying back taxes, or complying with probation conditions. Experts said the new policy broke with precedent and could be seen within the larger context of the Trump administration's steps to limit legal immigration and settlement within the U.S. "They're trying to increase the grounds for denial of U.S. citizenship by kind of torturing the definition of good moral character to encompass extremely harmless behavior," Doug Rand, a former senior official at the agency during the Biden administration, told CBS News. Elsewhere, the Trump administration has functionally shut down refugee resettlement into the U.S., while reportedly mulling a new 40,000-person refugee cap with most slots going to white South Africans. The White House has also pushed for a non-traditional mid-decade census that would exclude undocumented immigrants, breaking with over two centuries of precedent of the census counting all residents of particular states, U.S. citizens and otherwise. In March, the administration also suspended processing for certain classes of applications to be a legal permanent resident, otherwise known as obtaining a green card. The Trump administration has also revoked more than 6,000 student visas since January and has moved to end a variety of Biden-era legal immigration and humanitarian immigration parole programs.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump administration expands ‘good moral character' requirement for naturalized citizenship
The Trump administration is moving to expand scrutiny of immigrants' 'good moral character' when deciding on citizenship applications. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced officers will be instructed to seek more than a 'cursory mechanical review focused on the absence of wrongdoing' and instead conduct "a holistic assessment of an alien's behavior, adherence to societal norms, and positive contributions that affirmatively demonstrate good moral character." In a memo shared on Friday, the agency said existing rules will remain, such as bars on granting citizenship to people shown to have conducted serious offenses including murder and torture, while outlining new criteria for naturalization. 'U.S. citizenship is the gold standard of citizenship — it should only be offered to the world's best of the best,' agency spokesperson Matthew J. Tragesser said in a statement to The Hill. Under the new policy, immigration officers are directed to factor in positive evidence of moral character, like an immigrant's community involvement and education attainment, as well as negative information, such as repeated DUI convictions or actions that 'while technically lawful, may be inconsistent with civic responsibility within the community, such as reckless or habitual traffic infractions, or harassment or aggressive solicitation.' Officers will also consider evidence of reformed character, such as paying back taxes, or complying with probation conditions. Experts said the new policy broke with precedent and could be seen within the larger context of the Trump administration's steps to limit legal immigration and settlement within the U.S. "They're trying to increase the grounds for denial of U.S. citizenship by kind of torturing the definition of good moral character to encompass extremely harmless behavior," Doug Rand, a former senior official at the agency during the Biden administration, told CBS News. Elsewhere, the Trump administration has functionally shut down refugee resettlement into the U.S., while reportedly mulling a new 40,000-person refugee cap with most slots going to white South Africans. The White House has also pushed for a non-traditional mid-decade census that would exclude undocumented immigrants, breaking with over two centuries of precedent of the census counting all residents of particular states, U.S. citizens and otherwise. In March, the administration also suspended processing for certain classes of applications to be a legal permanent resident, otherwise known as obtaining a green card. The Trump administration has also revoked more than 6,000 student visas since January and has moved to end a variety of Biden-era legal immigration and humanitarian immigration parole programs.
